The College of St. Benilde proved its strength as the Blazers clinched a convincing 94-80 victory over the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates in the finals of the first edition of “The Big Dance” of the Pinoyliga Cup at the Amoranto Arena in Quezon City last Monday, August 19.

Allen Liwag led a balanced CSB attack and delivered a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds in over 30 minutes of play.

Liwag, a 6-foot-6 center/forward, punished LPU’s defense with his inside play.

Gabriel Cometa and Alaine Joshua Cajucom each scored 13 points for the Blazers, while Justine Sanchez added 12 points and Ian Torres contributed 10 points for the Taft-based team.

CSB coach Charles Tiu said winning the championship was a good sign that the Blazers are on the right track as they prepare for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, where they are among the favorites in their 100th season.

“It gave us a huge confidence boost and we had some good reps and plays,” Tiu said.

Ato Barba led Lyceum with 17 points, while Gyle Montano contributed 15 points and JM Bravo added 13 points for the Pirates, who played without three injured key players, including Mclaude Guadana.

St. Benilde not only became the first champion of “The Big Dance” but also took home the beautiful “eternal” trophy worth P200,000. The school gets to keep the trophy if it defends the title next year, but if another team wins, it gets to keep the trophy.

If a team wins three consecutive seasons, the champion gets to keep the trophy forever. The tournament in question – organized by the Pinoyliga Cup – is modeled after the US NCAA March Madness.